World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day

Samuel M. Witten

Acting Assistant Secretary

Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

National Geographic Society

Washington, DC

June 19, 2009

http://www.state.gov/g/prm/rls/remarks/125180.htm

First, I would like to relay to all of you Secretary Clinton’s regrets that she could not be with us today. She was planning on joining these proceedings for World Refugee Day to express her personal commitment to the plight of refugees and reaffirm the U.S. Government’s support for UNHCR and the other organizations serving refugees.

On behalf of the Secretary, and the State Department, I want to thank the National Geographic Society for hosting World Refugee Day. I want to express our appreciation to Ann Curry for hosting us today, and for her commitment to journalistic excellence and for reporting on conflicts and the displaced all around the world. And I want to thank and acknowledge Angelina Jolie for her tireless efforts as Goodwill Ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has done fabulous work to help increase international attention to the needs of refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR, thereby providing a voice to those whose plight often goes unheard.

World Refugee Day is an opportunity to reflect on the lives of millions of refugees who have been forced to flee tyranny and conflict. It is also a time to honor their courage and resilience, and to recognize the contribution of those who have been able to return to their communities or have sought new lives in their country of refuge or resettled in a third country.

The theme of this year’s World Refugee Day is “Real People, Real Needs,” and the posters of three young people here today tell the story better than I can. On this day we also salute the courage, the determination and the resilience of refugees. Today we will hear from Kagendra and Ganga Baral, Bhutanese refugees resettled in Phoenix. They will tell the story of their flight, their struggles as refugees, and the new life they now have in the United States.

 We will also hear from Rose Mapendo, a resettled refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a founder of Mapendo International, an organization that protects vulnerable African refugees and resettles them to the United States. Rose survived 16 months of imprisonment in the DRC.

I want to end my brief remarks by paying tribute to UNHCR and its staff for their amazing efforts to improve the plight of humanity by assisting nearly 32 million refugees and others of concern around the world, often putting their own lives at risk. Much of UNHCR’s work takes place in difficult and dangerous places. We note with sadness the senseless loss of life of UN humanitarian workers in Pakistan this month, including from UNHCR. While refugees continue to face challenges throughout the world, some languishing in refugee camps without a solution in sight, it is encouraging to see the progress being made by the international community in resolving longstanding refugee situations in places such as Liberia, South Sudan, Burundi, and Bhutan.

I’m very proud that the United States is the world leader in supporting UNHCR, and am grateful for our wonderful partnership with High Commissioner Antonio Guterres and his terrific staff. We are proud to be UNHCR’s strongest donor and supporter, covering approximately 25% of UNHCR’s budget. In Fiscal Year 2008, we contributed over $500 million in support of UNHCR programs.

The United States is working hard to enable those who have fled to return home in safety and dignity, and to provide those unable to return home either an opportunity to locally integrate in their countries of asylum or to start their lives anew in the United States. Our commitment to resettling refugees remains strong, with our history of resettling the largest number of refugees per year.

Finally, I would like to recognize and congratulate the winners of the poster competition and welcome them to Washington. We appreciate the fine work of UNHCR, the participating schools, teachers and children for raising awareness of the needs of refugees around the world – including the needs of refugee youth. This effort by American school childr

en to reach out to children less fortunate than themselves is in the best tradition of America.

PRESS STATEMENT, WORLD REFUGEE DAY: REAL PEOPLE, REAL NEEDS.

This year 2009, all Refugees around the world live in the most critical situation. The on going suffering of Refugees life is challenge by the global economic crisis. While the world populations are facing retrenchment, it has been worst for the Refugees situation. In some host countries, the Refugees are not recognized. Therefore they are not allow to work. They are not able to feed themselves and their families. Those who are working are not paid for months and cheated. This has become the second biggest issue for Refugees beside their legal status in host countries.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Antonio Guterres has expressed his anxiety over the possible decrease of funding from donors countries due to current global economic crisis. What more with us the Refugees? The anxiety among Refugees are unexplainable without a job and legal status.

 At the end of 2008, the number of Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) around the world stood at 47 million. Though the number is decreased from the previous year but the number of IDP is increasing in 2009. This issue must be addressed urgently by the relevant agencies before it become worst and forcing this population to flee the countries and become refugees.

In the current difficult situation, we urge the source, host and receiving countries of refugees to push aside the greediness and selfishness for the sake of vulnerable Refugees population. The legal status, employment, health care and education remains the significant issues for Refugees around the world and must be given priority.

 The United Nations agencies especially the UNHCR and UN Security Council must increase their dialog and active interventions with the source, host and receiving countries for the protection of Refugees.  Realizing that 80 % of the host countries are developing countries, the United Nations agencies and the develop countries must work hand in hand with the host countries to reduce their burden. 

The Burma issue is not an internal issue. It is a world issue that needs the world intervention. The change cannot come from inside as the people of Burma were oppressed by the junta. Now, it is the responsibility of the International Community and World Leaders together with the UN Security Council to resolve the long pending humanitarian crisis in Burma.

Everyone have the significant role to play. We applaud the Malaysian government for working together with the UNHCR to stop deportation of Burmese Refugees to Thailand border. However we hope that the Malaysian government will also stop the arrest on refugees and allow us to work to continue living. By doing this, we could contribute to the country economic growth. 

 We hope for the UNHCR and the Resettlement Countries not to exclude Rohingya Refugees in the Resettlement program. At the moment very small number of Rohingya Refugees in Malaysia resettled in the third countries. 

We urge the Non-governmental Organizations who work on the Refugees issue to genuinely work for the course of Refugees and not to discriminate and practice double standards toward Refugees from different ethnic groups. All refugees must be treated equally regardless of race, religion, ethnic etc. All Refugees must have the rights to seek for Permanent Solution and not Temporary Solution forever.

We seek for the better treatment for Refugees around the world. We hope the tragic incident such as the bad treatment of the Thai government to the Rohingya boat people in December 2008 will never happen again. 

We search for the better future from the current darkness and uncertainty.

 Thank you.

 Yours sincerely,                  

 Mr.Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani

President of Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM

Tel No: 6016-6827287

Protests marking Suu Kyi birthday

Activists across the world are marking the 64th birthday of Burma’s detained opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, with vigils and protests.

Celebrities including author Salman Rushdie and actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts have signed an online petition demanding that she be freed.

The European Union has also renewed its calls for her “unconditional release”.

Burma’s military rulers have held the Nobel Peace Prize winner under house arrest for most of the past 19 years.

She is currently on trial for breaking the terms of her detention.

Aung San Suu Kyi was charged after an American man swam to the house where she is being held, and stayed there overnight.

 

Inside Burma’s Insein prison Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi

Observers say the charges – which carry a maximum punishment of five years in jail – are designed to keep Ms Suu Kyi imprisoned until after a general election which the junta has scheduled for next year.

While she is on trial, Ms Suu Kyi is imprisoned in Rangoon’s Insein jail – a notorious facility where many political prisoners are held.

Protesters in at least 20 cities – from Geneva to Kuala Lumpur – are marking her birthday with calls for her to be set free.

The BBC’s Jonathan Head, in Bangkok, says one of the most poignant events was the small celebration at the Rangoon headquarters of her political party, the National League for Democracy.

Her supporters there released balloons and small birds, and made offerings of food to Buddhist monks in her honour.

Burmese exile groups have launched a website called “64 for Suu” and invited celebrities, politicians and members of the public to send a 64-word birthday message to Ms Suu Kyi.

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Aung San Suu Kyi’s supporters in Manila made a birthday cake and and spelled out the words “not guilty” with hundreds of red roses

In his message, British tycoon Richard Branson called her a “shining light for us all”.

Another message came from a group of female Nobel Peace Prize laureates including Guatemalan rights activist Rigoberta Menchu and US anti-landmine campaigner Jody Williams.

They said: “Your imprisonment and trial are a stark illustration of the brutality and lawlessness of the Burmese military regime.”

European Union leaders also joined the chorus of celebrities, activists and political leaders calling for Ms Suu Kyi’s release.

“Unless she is released, the credibility of the 2010 elections will be further undermined and the EU will respond with appropriate measures,” a European Council draft statement said.

Ms Suu Kyi has been under house arrest and banned from seeing all but a small group of people for 13 of the past 19 years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8108473.stm

PRESS STATEMENT DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI’S 64th BIRTHDAY – AN INTERPRETATION OF A BARBARIC MILITARY RULER.

PRESS STATEMENT

19^th June 2009

 Dear Chief Editor,

DAW AUNG SAN SUU KYI’S 64^th BIRTHDAY – AN INTERPRETATION OF A BARBARIC MILITARY RULER.

Today is Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s 64^th Birthday but this date is not to be celebrated by her or the people of Burma. All the people of Burma are waiting for her release at the end of May 2009. The day that bring change to the future of the people of Burma. Aung San Suu Kyi is going to have power but junta will never allow this to happen in order to sustain their power. Despite of her release she was arrested again and facing 5-7 years imprisonment.

Despite of the International pressure, the military junta remains stubborn and arrogant. The International pressure does not have any impact on Aung San Suu Kyi’s plight. Recently the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and his Special Envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari have received a petition from over 670 000 people around the world urging them to pressure military junta to release all political prisoners. The signatures were collected in 220 countries. It was very sad to see very small number of the world population supporting the petition to release the political prisoners. The Burmese people are hoping for more support and pressure from the International Community to bring change in Burma.

We hope for the bright future with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, but we were taken backward with her unjustified arrest. There must be a genuine effort to end the gross human rights violations in Burma.

Today the people around the world celebrate her birthday but it was meaningless with her being in the prison waiting for the sentence. She suffered from health problems while in the prison. But we do not know whether she have the access to medical treatment or not. Together with her, there were another 2100 political prisoners in the prisons. They were continuously abused and tortured by the military junta and being in the prison for a very long period.

 Myanmar Ethnic Rohingyas Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM) urges the United Nations to take stern action against the military ruler. The General Than Shwe and others involved must be brought to the International Court of Justice for the humanitarian crime they committed. The delay in doing this will only allow them to kill more people and increase the number of the Burmese refugees in the region.

 Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

 Mr.Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani

President Of Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organization Malaysia (MERHROM)

Tel No: 016-6827287

Good Strategy Needed To Help Myanmar: Nobel Prize Laureate

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, June 4 (Bernama) — Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari said Thursday the international community should have a well-thought and clear strategy to follow before going to Myanmar to help the country and its people.

Addressing the first Asian Mediation Conference here, the former Finnish president said many parties had taken a different perspective or approach in handling the many issues affecting the life and well-being of the people and the junta-ruled Myanmar.

He said the international community took a keen interest in Myanmar following a spate of incidents such as the suppression of the Saffron Revolution by the government, the devastating effects of Cyclone Nargis, the exodus of the Rohingya people and the famine in the Chin state.

He said the sympathy towards the people of Myanmar together with a principled conviction that they had the right to a state that could be an instrument for their well-being were the two driving forces of the international communities’ action relating to Myanmar.

Ahtisaari, noted for his international peace work in mediating conflicts in Kosovo, Nambia, Aceh and Iraq, outlined four strategic cornerstones that could help Myanmar get over with the long sufferings of its people and improve its government.

Firstly, he said there was a need to have dialogue with all relevant forces including the military government, regardless of whether these forces were legitimate or not.

The dialogue was important but it should not be seen as a reward for good behaviour but as an unconditional requirement to achieve positive developments, he added.

The former president said many countries found cooperation with undemocratic regimes difficult as these regimes, they argued, did not really represent the nation and its people.

He also said that the international community should be willing to endorse and support dialogue between the government and the groups that had so far remained outside the constitutional process, regardless of whose initiative such dialogue was.

The international parties should not talk only to the government and other relevant parties but they should help reconciliation between relevant political forces, the government and the opposition, including the ethno-national groups, he said.

“The focus of our attention should not be on “who does”, but on “what is being done”, he said, adding that to alleviate the suffering of the Myanmar people they should actively identify opportunities that each of the transition processes entailed instead of just focusing on whether a certain transition process was legitimate or not.

Ahtisaari said that in addition to supporting processes outside the government’s constitutional framework, supporting progressive developments inside the government’s constitutional setting was also needed.

“This would not constitute supporting or endorsing all the aspects of the government constitutions but just some,” he said.

He said a study by the Crisis Management Initiative for the European Commission on the constitutional quarrels in Myanmar had discovered that many of concerns of the opposition about the constitution were related to the implementation of the constitution rather than the text of the constitution.

Finally and most importantly, Ahtisaari said, addressing the needs of the Myanmar people required effective poverty alleviation and concrete strategies for economic and human development.

“The well-being of the people is a precondition for a longer-term peace and security,” he said.

When asked whether any party had approached him to seek his help in mediating the tussle on human rights between pro-democracy opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the Myanmar government, Ahtisaari said he supported the United Nations’ current efforts led by its special envoy Ibrahim Gambari in handling the matter.

Source: BERNAMA

Workers escape in the nick of time as roof of year-old stadium collapses

By R.S.N. MURALI

Photo Gallery

KUALA TERENGGANU: Billed as the pride of the state, the RM300mil Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak suffered a major blow when its roof collapsed yesterday – just a year after it was opened.

No one was injured in the 9am incident, but the stadium, which was the venue for Sukma (Malaysian Games) last year, has been declared unsafe.

Declared unsafe: The Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium after its roof collapsed yesterday. — Bernama

The damage at the east wing has been estimated at RM25mil.

The impact of the collapse was so loud that an employee at the stadium thought that a plane had crashed-landed on it.

“I shivered when I heard the deafening sound,” stadium administration officer Noor-kumarasari Jamil, 31, said.

She panicked and screamed for her colleagues to leave the office as the Sultan Mahmud Airport was situated near to the stadium.

Noorkumarasari said her superior directed all the employees to vacate the office and take shelter at a nearby indoor stadium.

Damaged: Workers looking at the collapsed structure of the RM300mil Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak, Terengganu. The affected zones are the main entrance, royal podium and the public seating area.

General worker Hajjah Shafar, 32, said she was terrified when she saw the roof structure tumbling down.

“I was sweeping the floor at the west wing of the stadium when the roof collapsed,” she said. “I just ran for my life.”

Nineteen workers, mostly cleaners, were at the stadium but they managed to flee to safety.

The stadium is part of the modern Gong Badak sports complex, which was built at an initial cost of RM250mil but the amount surged by an additional RM50mil due to soaring prices of building materials.

The indoor stadium, which is also part of the complex, was built at a cost of RM160mil.

The roof on the stadium’s left wing was ravaged after the iron frame structure supporting the 300m-long roof destabilised, causing it to fold. The affected zones were the main entrance, royal podium and the public seating area.

A Kancil car and three motorcycles were also damaged by the debris.

Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Mansor, who visited the site, said the Construction and Industrial Development Board, a wing under the ministry, had been tasked to form a team comprising architects to determine the cause of the catastrophe.

“It’s premature to point fingers at any party, including the contractor responsible for erecting the roof structure, until the outcome of the investigation.

“The stadium is still under warranty and the contractor will bear the cost of the remedial works,” he said, adding that the incident had tarnished the reputation of the country.

State Fire and Rescue Department director Puazan Ahmad said they received a distress call at 9.45am, and 25 personnel were sent to the site.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/3/nation/4038239&sec=nation

Burma’s Suu Kyi claims innocence

Diplomats were allowed to meet Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, on trial for breaking the terms of her house arrest, has told a court she committed no crime, her lawyer says. She spoke after five days of evidence from prosecution witnesses. The UN Security Council has renewed demands for all political prisoners to be freed and called on Burma’s military rulers to open talks with Ms Suu Kyi. She had been due for release on 27 May, but the charges she faces carry a maximum of five years in jail. The authorities say she breached the conditions of her latest period of house arrest by allowing US national John Yettaw to stay in her home. Observers say Burma’s military rulers are using the charges as a pretext to keep her in jail during a general election scheduled for next year. Rapid prosecution In a press statement, the Security Council called for all political prisoners to be freed and to “create the necessary conditions for a genuine dialogue” with Ms Suu Kyi and other political groups.   Inside Burma’s Insein prison Profile: Aung San Suu Kyi “The members of the Security Council express their concern about the political impact of recent developments related to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” the statement said. Ms Suu Kyi’s lawyer, Nyan Win, said the presiding judge officially accepted the charges against her at the end of the prosecution case – which came much more rapidly than people had thought it would. Prosecutors had been expected to call 22 witnesses, but the lawyer told the BBC’s Burmese service that in the event far fewer had actually taken the stand. He said the judge asked Ms Suu Kyi whether she was guilty, and she replied: “I have no guilt as I didn’t commit any crime.” The trial, which is being held behind closed doors at Rangoon’s Insein jail, is expected resume on Monday when her defence will present its case. ‘Assassination dream’ Mr Yettaw, who swam across a lake to reach her house, is also on trial in Insein jail.   A group of Ms Suu Kyi’s supporters gathered outside the jail on Thursday He is reported to have testified that he made the visit because he had dreamt that she was going to be assassinated. Ms Suu Kyi’s lawyers say she tried to send the man away but he refused to go. He was then allowed to stay only because he said he was exhausted. The ruling generals say the incident was a stunt designed to embarrass the government. Foreign Minister Nyan Win was quoted as saying the incident had been fabricated by “internal and external anti-government elements” to “intensify international pressure” on the regime. International condemnation Ms Suu Kyi’s trial opened on Monday behind closed doors. Burma’s ruling junta allowed some diplomats and journalists into the proceedings on Wednesday, only to bar them again the following day. Governments and rights groups have condemned the trial – and diplomats have said they expect Ms Suu Kyi to be found guilty. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years. The party she leads, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won the country’s last general election in 1990 – but she was never allowed to take power. The ruling generals have scheduled an election for next year – but have written a new constitution which carves out a major role for the military in any new government. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8063817.stm

Myanmar Map

MYANMAR RAKHINE STATE MAP

Obama calls on Myanmar to free Aung San Suu Kyi

The Associated Press

Tue, May 26, 2009 (4:15 p.m.)

President Barack Obama called on Myanmar’s government Tuesday to immediately free Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize-winner detained under house arrest since 2003.

Suu Kyi is currently on trial in her country, accused of violating her detention by allowing an uninvited American to stay at her home. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges but faces five years in prison if convicted.

In a statement Tuesday, Obama condemned Suu Kyi’s house arrest and detention. He called on the government of Myanmar, also known as Burma, to release her immediately and unconditionally as a sign of respect for its laws and its people.

“Aung San Suu Kyi’s continued detention, isolation, and show trial based on spurious charges cast serious doubt on the Burmese regime’s willingness to be a responsible member of the international community,” Obama said. “This is an important opportunity for the government in Burma to demonstrate that it respects its own laws and its own people, is ready to work with the National League for Democracy and other ethnic and opposition groups, and is prepared to move toward reconciliation.”

Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won national elections in 1990, but Myanmar’s military junta refused to relinquish power. She has spent 13 of the past 19 years in detention without trial for her nonviolent promotion of democracy.

Her latest round of house arrest was to expire this week.

Obama noted that Suu Kyi’s detention has also been condemned worldwide.

“By her actions, Aung San Suu Kyi has represented profound patriotism, sacrifice, and the vision of a democratic and prosperous Burma. It is time for the Burmese government to drop all charges against Aung San Suu Kyi and unconditionally release her and her fellow political prisoners,” the president said. “Such an action would be an affirmative and significant step on Burma’s part to begin to restore its standing in the eyes of the United States and the world community and to move toward a better future for its people.”

The 63-year-old Nobel laureate testified Tuesday in her defense, insisting that she did not break the law by allowing John W. Yettaw, 53, of Falcon, Mo., to stay at her home for two days after he swam across a lake to enter her house uninvited earlier this month. She said security forces were responsible for keeping intruders away from her home. Yettaw has pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

The charges against Suu Kyi are widely considered a pretext to keep her detained ahead of elections planned for next year.

Earlier this month, Obama extended for another year a state of emergency regarding Myanmar, keeping in place tough sanctions against the country.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/may/26/obama-calls-on-myanmar-to-free-aung-san-suu-kyi/